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emily_mh's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
There are lots of things I liked about this one. The plot got going right away - by the literal 60th page I was deep in an Indian Jones type mission along with the main character, Rags. I liked the writing style and loved the concept of the Great Parable and the direction this gave the story. The magic - mirrorcraft - was unique and fascinating and was deeply intwined in the plot. Finally, for the most part, the main romance was written well.
There were, however, some kind of important things I didn't like. The middle section of this book was BLOATED. The pacing was incredibly slow, which was a huge disappointment after the firecracker start. This book really didn't need 500+ pages to tell its story. I would have liked the characters to feel a little more rounded, especially given the time we spend with them. The side romances felt a little contrived. Finally, and perhaps most jarringly, this was written as a standalone but does not feel like one. Everything felt so unfinished by the end that I felt like I had another two books to go. I understand that the authors have more ideas for more books in this world, but I think this should have been the first in a planned series from the get go.
Overall though the book was fine and I look forward to what the two authors bring out in the future.
There were, however, some kind of important things I didn't like. The middle section of this book was BLOATED. The pacing was incredibly slow, which was a huge disappointment after the firecracker start. This book really didn't need 500+ pages to tell its story. I would have liked the characters to feel a little more rounded, especially given the time we spend with them. The side romances felt a little contrived. Finally, and perhaps most jarringly, this was written as a standalone but does not feel like one. Everything felt so unfinished by the end that I felt like I had another two books to go. I understand that the authors have more ideas for more books in this world, but I think this should have been the first in a planned series from the get go.
Overall though the book was fine and I look forward to what the two authors bring out in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Death, Physical abuse, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Gore, Infertility, Slavery, Torture, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Drug use, Rape, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Excrement, Vomit, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and War